TVs, Nail Polish, and Lorelai's Games
by Rusty Bedsprings
Summary: During the Fourth Season...After Luke's divorce. Luke comes over to fix Lorelai's TV...just another way to hook the two up...
1. Palace Garden or Prom Dress?

I own a 96' Geo Tracker, a beat up guitar, hundreds of tapes with my favorite shows on them, but otherwise…nothing. Don't sew, I work at a gas station, I wash cars for a living…I'm just a poor girl…

Rusty

'Palace Garden or Prom Dress?'

Lorelai Gilmore, was lounging on her sofa staring at her naked toes, and having an inner debate. She lifts them into the air, wiggling each toe back and forth, hoping that in doing so, she'll have the answer to her question. She was on the brink of making up her mind when the phone pulls her out of her conundrum. She reaches under the pillow she is lying against and brings the phone to her ear while simultaneously pressing the talk button.

"Lorelai Gilmore the second yet the most beautiful speaking." She smiles at her wit.

"Mom…"

'Great' she thinks, 'Rory will know the answer'.

"Hey, quick question kid." She says cradling the phone between her shoulder and her ear, while leaning forward and picking up two nail polish bottles. "Palace Garden or…Prom Dress."

"Mom, I don't have time…" Rory was getting impatient, seeing as she was already going to be late for her class.

"Just answer…I made time to carry you in my womb for almost a year." She replies throwing the polishes in her lap and waving her arms in the air as if Rory could read her body language through the phone.

"Fine…Prom Dress. It's the better of the pinks." Rory sighs and grabs her bag, throwing it on her shoulder and walking out of her dorm.

"I knew I could count on you baby. So, what's a-happenin' hot stuff?" Lorelai situates herself on the couch so she is sitting Indian pretzel style.

"I knew I shouldn't have left the Molly Ringwald tapes, another marathon, huh?"

"Don't judge…"

"Yeah, Yeah…I just wanted to tell you that I'm going to be coming out after my last class, and I wanted to know if you needed me to pick anything up for you…" Rory stops outside her classroom now, hoping to quickly end this conversation. She finds as she is getting older she has become more and more like her mother. Late to everything.

"Um…Tampons, toilet paper, paper towels, Q-tips, cotton balls, nail polish remover, Windex, tide, Ooh and some new nail polish but I want a funky color, like lime green or…or psycadellic orange." She finishes her list scooting back on the couch, bringing one leg up, and unscrewing the nail polish top.

"Mom, I don't think I can to all your shopping tonight…"

"Yeah, I know…just get me some nail polish." She began to paint her big toe, laying the polish on in a thick layer. She has never been patient enough to do more than one coat.

"I'll see what I can do…" Rory looked at the wall clock in the hallway. She is now ten minutes late. She pulls a Rory and begins to panic. "Hey, Mom…I gotta go. I'm late."

"WHAT? Who knocked you up?"

"Bye mom…"

"Bye Sweets." Lorelai chuckles to her self and hangs up the phone. She tosses it to the side of the couch that is unoccupied and resumes painting her nails. She was just finishing the little piggy that had roast beef when she hears the door bell ring. She sighs, irritated, throws the polish down and wobbles to the door in an attempt to salvage that hard work that she has already finished.

"I'm coming, hold on, I'm wet…Ha, DIRTY…not in that kind of way, my toes…" She grabs the knob and hastily throws the door open to reveal an equally irritated Luke.

"Whatcha break this time?" He stands in front of her, arms crossed in front of his chest, eyes full of inquisition.

"I didn't break anything…My appliances are plotting against me." She shows him into the house and shuts the door behind him. He spins around to face her and gives her a judgmental look. When he notices she is balancing on one foot he glances back up to her face questionably. She doesn't understand why he is looking at her in such a manner, but after a few moments of wonder she put two and two together and got four.

"Sorry, wet toe nails. Prom Dress is a complicated color and a great polish but its downfall is that it's not one of those quick drying ones…you know?" She smiles and shifts to her other foot, realizing that the balancing on one foot has caused lefty to cramp. She needs to give lefty a break. 'Besides' she figures 'her nails were about dry anyway'.

"It's your TV this time." It's more of a statement than a question but, it changes the subject. Otherwise she would go off on a tangent for a good fifteen minutes about nail polish, and well, as a man, he is oblivious. He starts to walk into the living room with her trailing behind him.

"Yep, Harold…He's sick." She pouts and plops down on the couch, watching Luke as he stares at the TV hoping the solution would present itself immediately. He always fells a bit uncomfortable being alone with her. Maybe because the thought of her makes his stomach flutter, whatever it is, he just doesn't want to take his chances. He is too afraid of what could become of it.

"Let me take a look…" He squats down and turns the TV on. All he gets is a fuzzy reception. He proceeds to hit it a few times.

"Hey, TV abuser, I'll have to sick Officer Crumpkee on your ass…" She sit up and grabs the nail polish again, and settles back to resume her art.

"It didn't work anyway…" He looks around the room for the remote, but doesn't have any luck locating it. He picks up a couple of pillows that were thrown on the floor, he still finds nothing.

"Looking for this?" Lorelai has the remote and is now waving it in the air. She is giving him a sly smile.

"What else would I be looking for here? I'm not a Cosmo or Vogue kind of guy." He begins to walk toward her.

"Oh honey, I know…The flannel and Baseball cap tipped me off a long time ago Mr. Lumberjack." At this point Luke was standing in front of her, his hand held out, waiting for her to supply him with the remote. She just sits there smiling up at him, grasping the remote tightly with her hand. Luke begins to tap his foot in frustration, uncomfortable with the situation that has presented its self. While Lorelai is looking at him in a way that makes him want to pin her down and have his way with her, but he knows she is doing this for fun. Testing him, playing her game. He doesn't move, he just waits, holds his ground, knowing that he isn't going to be the one to give in this time, it's her turn.

"I thought you wanted this." She says flirtatiously waving it above her head.

"I do…" He replies shifting his gaze to the floor. Then back into her eyes. He supposes he sees something there, right then, in her eyes. Maybe she is wanting him the way he is wanting her. The thought quickly escapes his mind though, when Lorelai tosses the remote at his chest, and returns her attention to her half painted toes.

"You're so serious Butch. Never join in the Lorelai games." He reaches down and grabs the remote. He can feel the warmth of her hand still lingering on the black plastic. It makes him smile. She notices this.

"I got Butch to smile!" She sings. "Yay! Oh, Butch you are so handsome when you smile." She jokes clutching her chest and almost dripping nail polish off the brush that rested between her fingers in her other hand. He scowls at her remark. He was joining in the Lorelai games…It was impossible not to. She always found a way to suck him in.

"Stop callin' me Butch. Brings back bad memories." He fiddles with remote in his hands, pressing buttons he doesn't even understand, hoping that in doing so, the TV would just fix itself.

"Bad memories…What kind of bad memories Butch?" She smiles mischievously, finishing her second to last toe.

"I didn't like high school that much, if you couldn't tell by now." He turns to her and locks her gaze for a brief second before bringing his awareness to the now flashing television.

"I didn't either…Well, I didn't get to experience much of it considering I was pregnant and AWOL for most of it." She places the brush into the bottle of polish and screws the lid on tightly before setting it on the coffee table. Thoughtfully she stretches her legs in front of her and surveys, studies, and critiques her work. "I don't' regret it though…I'm sure I would've been miserable anyway…Most people are miserable in high school…right?" She looks away from her toes and stares at his back. He shrugs his shoulders at her question and faces her.

"I was…yeah…I guess most people are…" He smiles at her then and she smiles back. They both become a little shy after the gesture and apply there attention else where.

"Hey, you thirsty? Want a beer or something?" She stands up from the couch and begins to make her way into the kitchen.

"Yeah, beer'll be good" He nods at her now retreating form. He brings himself to sit down at the couch and stares at the TV. "Come on Harold…work with me here."

TBC…


	2. Tag! You're it!

**Still don't own them**

**There are no spoilers…**

**Just another way to hook them up…**

**Rusty**

"Are you a Heineken guy? Or a Budweiser guy? Or a Samuel Adams guy?" Lorelai is now on her third beer and is more than just a little tipsy. She is reclining on the couch half sitting, half laying down. Her feet are propped up by countless pillows, each different sizes and colors, and the more Luke looks at them the dizzier he feels. He is currently in the arm chair, his head back, eyes now closed, and his legs spread apart. He has his beer resting gingerly on his upper thigh while his free hand his on his other. When she asks him his beer preference he opens his eyes to her, stares blankly for a few seconds, shrugs his shoulders, and closes his eyes once more. "Ya know…to me, beer is beer. Makes ya tipsy just the same."

Lorelai smiles, at her toes, then turns to look at Luke.

"Are you comfortable?" He stirs at this question, shifts his butt into the chair and again watches her.

"Yeah…Nice chair." She begins to laugh at this. The beer has definitely taken over her now. She feels hazy, light headed, and she is enjoying it.

"Thank you for fixing the TV…It was nice of you." He takes another sip of his beer, letting the bottle linger at his lips for a few seconds while he processes her gratitude. As he lowers it, he nods his head and lightly smiles. She smiles back and they can both feel the change in the air. It's palpable. Thick. Luke nervously peels at the label on his beer bottle, finding a distraction from her,fixing his eyes elsewhere before they got lost in her baby blues. There is silence for a minute or so, both reflecting, considering, wondering, thinking…

"Thanks for fixing the TV…It was nice of you." Luke begins to laugh, fully heartedly at this and Lorelai is genuinely confused by this action. Her brows furrow into her eye lids as she considers the motive behind his behavior. Luke realizes the beer has broken the connection between her brain and her mouth. Luckily, he's able to hold his alcohol a little better than her.

"You already said that…" His laughing turns into a chuckle as he sinks further into the chair.

"Oh…yeah…" She smiles to herself, obviously amused by her actions and the situation that has presented itself. She glances at Luke and his half finished beer. "Hey um…what was the worst part about high school…for you?" She fumbles with the charm on her necklace and he finds himself distracted by it. Not so much the necklace, but the hands, and the collarbone, and the neck…He finds himself slipping and begins to clean it up before he's lost all control.

"High school? Well, I wasn't a fan of the people. Shocker, huh?" He raises his eye brows and bobs his head at this. She smiles and lets out a chuckle on her breath.

"I thought you we're voted Mr. People Person Popularity Butch?" She leans her head toward him a smile peeling around her lips.

"Yeah…there was apicute of me in the year book and everything...Nah but truthfully?" He looks to her awaiting a response and she nods her head vigorously, anxiously anticipating his answer. Wondering if what he tells her is the secret behind the flannel clad baseball cap loving mn. This man who she finds to be an intriguing enigma. He sighs and begins the story.

"It's not that interesting. I just wasn't one to be the center of attention. I ran track because I liked to run. To push my body to another extreme. To better myself as a person and sometimes I wonder if it was to make my dadto see me that way. A betterperson, an achiever.Sometimes I just wanted him to turn around and say to the other dads 'My son Luke is amazing'. But it never happened. I know he was proud of me. I worked hard, my grades weren't great but that was never that important to him…Just sometimes…I'd hoped he'd show it…or say **SOMETHING**…We Danes" Luke points to himself, "We were never good at the verbal…Ya know?" He looks away from his lap and into her blues eyes that remained fixed on him during his entire speech. She grins at him.

"I have no idea what you mean…Gilmore's were VERY good at the verbal…"

"Ah…right…" Silence fills the room as they both reflect on his words.

"You know Luke…your dad loved you…and well…you are an amazing man…whether someone tells you or not…absolutely amazing…" She looks at her knees bringing them to her chest, wrapping her arms around them, and resting her head to look at him. She sees his expression now. He's beaming…She thinks that she's never seen Luke Danes beam. Smile, smirk, grin but never beam. She was overwhelmed by the beauty of it. So much so that she didn't even notice when she stood up from the couch and planted herself in front of him. His face falls when he sees her there, close enough that if he just reaches out in front of him he could grab her waist and draw her into his lap. And he considers it. Dwells on it, imagines the wonderful warmth of her. Then she gives him a look of absolute adoration and his heartbeat pounds in his ears and his stomach feels like its going to jump out of his throat.

"Luke…you are…" And then as soon as it has begun it has ended and Lorelai realizes her proximity to his lap, to his lips, to his hands, to Luke Danes, best friend, and coffee supplier. And again Lorelai runs…Literelly. "it!" She yells skipping into the kitchen, avoiding the awkward situation in the only way a Gilmore can…with jokes, fun, and games.

She places herself behind the table as her only block between her, the doorway, and Luke. He enters gingerly, not amused, almost irritated. "So…we were talking and now?"

"We're playing tag!" She straightens up and bounces, and for a moment looks like a child.

"You know…it takes two to play that game?" He places his hands on his hips. They are both tipsy and their blood is rushing to their heads due to the beer and the fact that they had been sitting around with minimal movement for about a half of an hour.

"You're playing silly man…C'mon Burger Boy…play with me for once?" She tilts her head and sticks out her lower lip in a pout and Luke is doing all he can to fight the urge of biting that same lip and sucking into his mouth.

"Dirty?" He plays her game, knowing he has no choice whatsoever…He knew as soon as he walked into that door what he was getting himself into.

"You bet it was." Now she was flirting, falling into their rhythm but it was just flirting…She was going to keep him at arms length as long as possible. Luke found himself willing to change that. Change…funny word. One that Luke Danes has never been a fan of. But at this moment it was something he was more than willing to welcome. Maybe it was the beer, the loneliness, the hormones…Pick one any one and that is the reason he's wanting to do this.

He moves to the left side of the table toward her and she bolts the other way, running back into the living room and he willingly chases her there and around the couch and around the chair. She grabs a pillow and lifts it to hit him but he grabs her wrist successfully, she lets out a yelps, and in one brief moment they lock eyes, she drops the pillow, he grabs her waist with her free hand and they are passionately kissing. Tongue, teeth, hands, warmth, wet…want. He doesn't hold back, he bites her lower lip and sucks it before breaking away to breath. Lust is evident in both of their indigo eyes…and he part whispers/part growls...

"You're it…"

**TBC…**

**Please read and review…This is definitely going to be a multi part story now…I just can't stop now…**


	3. Harold Might Get Jealous

**I still am poor...I still own nothing...I still am nineteen and lifeless...thus another chapter for your consumption...enjoy!**

**RUSTY**

_"Harold Might Get Jealous"_

She wonders what she is thinking. What she really wants to happen. If this is really where she intended to end up tonight. Getting tipsy and kissing her best friend? Maybe not her initial plan but it happened none the less. The funny thing is that she does want it, now that it's here, now that Luke was touching her. The sad thing…is that in the back of her dazed and confused mind she remembers fear, consequences, and herself, all of which end up being bad and wrong. So, she steps away from his arms, touches her lips with her fingertips and diverts her attention to his empty beer bottle…She needs to find a distraction.

"Beer? Want another…Do you want another beer?" She stammers out the question as if it is the hardest thing she'll ever have to say, while brushing past him into the kitchen.

Luke stands dumbfounded in the living room. His jaw dropped his eyes wide… bewilderment settles into his expression and contemplates taking permanent residence there. He is immobile, paralyzed with shock… inadvertently he responds to her query with a squeaky "Yes" and somewhere in the distance hears her open the refrigerator and pop the caps off of the beer. He gets lost in thought again…forgets where he is, only remembers her lips and her warmth.

"Luke…" She's in front of him now, holding out the beer, her arm stretched fully, keeping herself at a safe and reasonable distance, and she's not too surprised when Luke doesn't accept the bottle, doesn't even acknowledge her presence. She attempts to attract his attention once more.

"LUKE…You're beer?" Her voice snaps him out of his reverie and he nervously receives his beer and looks beyond her shoulders to the chair he was, only a few minutes ago sitting in and conversing with his friend.

"Umm…Thank you…" He goes to sit in the chair again brushing lightly past her, feeling some sort of electrical force radiating from her body, and soon after, nothing. He falls into the chair. She moves back to her position on the couch, her refuge. They are somehow back to square one…two friends drinking beer on a Saturday night, yet they've left square one…explored square two, took a detour to square three, avoided square four altogether and found themselves here… ignorant to where the hell they really were.

Luke remembers why he is here in the first place…To fix her TV. Something he so far hasn't gotten around to. With this realization he finds the remote on the coffee table, snatches it quickly, and clicks it on. He begins to fiddle once more, in his desperate need to physically fix something when he can't emotionally.

Lorelai watches him. Allows him to continue what he has begun. Thanking what ever god created coffee, that he hasn't brought up what happened. She feels sick to her stomach…She isn't sure if it is the beer, or the nerves or what…but she feels like she is going to yack. Silently she begins to vow never to drink beer alone with a man again, but throws that out the window when she realizes she still has a full bottle in her hand and feels the need to throw it down the hatch.

Luke is frustrated now. The damn TV doesn't work, she's not saying anything…in fact she isn't even saying anything about the kiss…about the groping they were both enjoying in her living room ten minutes ago. At least he thinks she was enjoying it. _'C'mon Danes, move your mouth, make a noise'_. He gives up on the TV and drops the remote carelessly on the hardwood floor. The sound of the plastic cracking causes Lorelai to pull the bottle away from her mouth and look up at Luke. He's not in front of the TV anymore where she expects to see him, he's in front of her, he's staring directly at her, and it freaks her out.

"Luke…What are you doing?" She's careful with her words, afraid of the influence they could bring.

"What the hell is your problem…?" He stumbles a little in front of her but catches himself before he falls forward. She pushes him away while standing up to face him.

"What the hell is my problem…What the hell is your problem…You kissed me!" Staring him down, the anger rises steadily in Lorelai's voice.

"You kissed me back!" It's a showdown now, each testing waters and waiting for the other to break

"Yes…I…Well…" She kicks herself. She broke. She's always been good with words, knows great comebacks, she can even put pop culture references in them. And yet here she is, a little drunk, a little flustered and she can't think of a god damn thing to say. She blames it on the beer, on the time of night, on the full moon, or the fact the snow is melting outside, everything but the truth…that Luke has rendered her speechless.

"Did you want to kiss me?" The beer is making him do things…This isn't him he doesn't…say stuff like this.

"Yes…" _'Did that really come out of my mouth?'_ She looks at his chest for he's just inches from her now.

"Do you want me to kiss you now?" _'This isn't me…Log this in you memory Danes…Beer + Lorelai fatal'_. He's looking down at her now…awaiting her response.

"Harold might get jealous." Her breath is on his cheek now and he wonders if he has ever felt something more wonderful in his entire life that is…until their lips meet.

**If you'd like you could review and tell me what you want to read...I'm easy, you can pretty much get me to do anything...Hmm...Well that warrants a DIRTY!**

**Thanks!**


	4. Backed into a Corner

_I am low…lower than low…the earth's core kind of low…please forgive me for my lowness…I've been an update disaster…But I promise there will be more…and there will be a lot more! HEY, HEY, HEY!_

_Oh yeah…don't sue…yada, yada, yada…The only thing I own, that is remotely close to GG is the pride I have, since it taught me what a broiler is and where it's located…Thanks Amy!_

Rory finds herself in front of her and her mother's house with plastic Target bags burning her wrists while she cradles a package of toilet paper in her arms with her chin's assistance. Trudging up the stairs of the dimly lit front porch she reaches the home's main entrance. On nights like this, while she's unloading her mother's groceries from her car, she is more than happy that Lorelai never locks the front door. She releases her right hand from the toilet paper and reaches for the door knob, the plastic Target bags swinging from her wrists like a pendulum causing friction and slight pain on her skin. She's grown accustom to the feeling though and doesn't even notice the annoyance. She trudges through the door, sets down the toilet paper, stretches the plastic up and away from her wrists and puts them down as well, and turns to the living room. What she sees doesn't shock her…but she finds herself slightly uncomfortable. Her mom and her Luke were going at it like teenagers, like…college kids. Gultily she clears her throat throwing the two apart.

Rory can't help the chuckle that escapes. Luke's mouth is almost on the floor, his eyes wide in confusion and her mothers face is red with embarrassment. It doesn't take long before she hits the rant stage…or at least tries.

"Hey Rory, um…I forgot you were going to be back…and Luke was just…Harold…broken…nail polish…beer…um…"

"Mom…I'm going to put the groceries away…"

With that Rory leaves the room looking behind her and smiling at the site of her mom and Luke in their embarrassment. They watch her leave staring into the kitchen, avoiding the conversation that may ensue, wishing on some level that the whole scenario would just magically disappear.

"I should go?" It came out in an edgy whisper, arousal still evident in his voice.

"Um…yeah?" Lorelai is confused, unsure of how to change this, how to make it better…or even go away.

Luke looks at her then at the floor then to the door. And before Lorelai could say another word he is gone and she finds herself on the couch staring at her still naked toes. The polish glaring at her, reminding her of how it was before…before she kissed her best friend and perhaps ruined the best relationship she's ever had.

"Mom…" Rory's voice snaps her out of her stupor and her head shoots up to meet Rory's blue eyes. She takes a seat next to her mother on the couch and gives her a look that says 'spill the beans'. Lorelai smiles and then finds her hands in her lap.

"Maybe beer was a bad idea." She says it as if it is an excuse. As if beer were a magic potion that set of hormones and made men and women sex crazed fiends…and yes sometimes it is.

"Mom…You know, Luke really likes you…" Lorelai looks shocked at her daughter's statement like she's never heard of such a ludicrous idea.

"Luke doesn't like me…we were drunk Rory…Tomorrow he'll wonder what the hell he was thinking. It was nothing…Just two kisses…" Rory's eyes widen at this revelation.

"Two kisses? As in more than one…" She shifts on the house and bows her head at her mother awaiting a response.

"Yeah well…it was the beer Rory…Alcohol makes you a moron…" She throws her legs up on the coffee table and crosses her arms in front of her chest like a defiant child.

"I hope you fix this…It's not gunna fix it's self mom." Rory gets up from the couch and begins to walk into the kitchen. Before she enters she turns around. "Just don't dismiss the possibility that a nice guy like Luke could be in love with you Mom. If any two people deserve each other in this world…It's you guys." Lorelai looks back at her daughter and nods in acknowledgement. With that Rory walks into the kitchen to leave Lorelai and her thoughts. _'Do I feel that way about Luke? I mean, I did kiss him. And he kissed me…and we both enjoyed it…no one pushed each other away…I like Luke?'_

"Mom..." Lorelai was so engrossed in thought that she didn't even notice that Rory is sitting next to her on the couch.

"Sorry Sweets…I was just thinking…" She looks at Rory and then at the still broken TV. They sit in silence for a moment, Lorelai's eyes still fixed on the TV screen, Rory's eyes searching the room before her gaze lands on her mother's feet.

"So, that's Prom Dress? I like it. Wanna do mine?" Rory looks at her mom who has finally stopped staring at the TV.

"Throw those toes my way…" Rory swings her legs to sit on her mother's lap and Lorelai picks up the bottle of Prom Dress and begins to paint.

Lorelai has successfully avoided Luke for two days but only because she is extremely busy with the inn renovations. Yet, Luke doesn't see it that way. He thinks she doesn't want to talk to him and the situation sends him pretty much into a state of madness. Wondering if the next time the bell rings above his diner door is her bell. Wondering if the phone ringing is her ring. Two days and he just can't take it anymore. He's wiping down the counter and thinking about her and he can't remember where anything is, and it's just enough to give him the courage to go after her. Luke's not that kind of man but Lorelai Gilmore is just enough to make him change his ways.

When he walks through the front door of the inn he almost turns around. There isn't anyone working today and for a moment he finds it odd but then he realizes that it's Sunday and everyone has the day off…except for her. He walks through the unfinished inn until he reaches the dining room. There, at one of the tables is Sookie, Michel, and Lorelai all engrossed in business conversation which stops when Sookie sees Luke and gestures to Lorelai that he's standing behind her. She turns around, wide eyed and confused.

"Luke…What…What's up?" She attempts to be nonchalant, keeping her cool, not letting anyone know that something has changed between them. But…Sookie and Michel can tell by the change in the air that awkward has entered the room along with Luke.

"Um…Can I talk to you…?" Luke stands still waiting for her to go into the other room but she just sits there and stares at him blankly for a few moments until it finally sinks in.

"Oh…you mean alone…" He nods and pushes a smile forward on his lips. "Yeah sure…Sookie…Michel…I'll only be a few minutes." Lorelai stands up and holds the back of her chair in her hands, grounding her before she faints from nervousness.

"I want to finish zis meeting. Zis is not what I signed up for. You zaid an hour…It'z been an hour and a half. I cannot ztay much longer…"

"Michel…five minutes and I'll be back. I'll pay you over time, okay?"

"Fine but I will not pretend to be happy…"

"Then nothing will have changed…I'll be right back…"

"Lorelai…" Sookie gets up and moves toward her friend. She leans into her ear and whispers. "What is Luke doing here?"

"Later Sookie…Later…" She nods in agreement and Lorelai turns to Luke and gestures toward the kitchen. He enters and she follows. Once inside he leans against the counter and she stands on the other side of the island. Far, far away from Luke.

"So…You want to talk?" She pretends nothing has changed in hopes that it would make it go away. Make reality and illusion trade places in her mind.

Luke is staring at the floor kicking his feet at the tile, the rubber of his boots leaving little black streaks. He notices that the new tile hasn't been placed yet and realizes that once it has…There will be no evidence that he has ever been in this room.

Lorelai has busied herself by looking around the kitchen and rearranging things that are out of place. Tools, random pieces of metal…anything she thinks is lying around or unnecessary. She doesn't even notice Luke is next to her until he grabs her wrist while she's picking up a screwdriver from a table in the corner. She is surprised and looks up at him questionably. He then takes the screw driver from her hand and pulls her by her shoulder to face him.

"Are we going to discuss it? Or ignore it? Maybe we'll just push it away until it festers up one day and bites us in the ass?" He's staring at her now, trying to penetrate her perimeter. He squeezes her wrist tighter, letting her know he's not going anywhere until he's satisfied. She realizes this and looks down at his chest and back into his eyes.

"We kissed…**_Twice_**…" She smiles at him and he smiles back.

_Don't worry I'm going to update again by the end of today…I feel awful for leaving you guys hanging for so long…life gets in the way sometimes though…Yikes!_

_HOPE YOU'RE ENJOYING…LET ME KNOW WHAT YA THINK…I need to get caffeinated before I write the next chapter…"GOOD MORNING VIETNAM!" I have my own thing with the espresso! _


	5. Confusion says? Talking is Good!

_Thanks for the reviews everyone…Someone brought up that I wrote 'sew' instead of 'sue'…It's Dr. Evil from 'Austin Powers'…Maybe I should have put a 'shh..' in or maybe a maniacal laugh or something…sorry to confuse or irritate! And now my feathered friends…I shall commence the update!_

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"We kissed…**_Twice_**…" She smiles at him and he smiles back.

"It haz been more zan five minutes…What iz taking zem zo long?" Michel is up from his chair and pacing outside of the kitchen door. Sookie's drumming her fingers on the table with her head propped up on the other hand.

"Michel…Just sit…I just want them to figure this whole thing out." Michel stops at this and realizes that something must have happened between the two.

"So, she and this diner man are together?" He takes a seat next to her and waits for the dish.

"I don't know…she hasn't told me much which makes me sure that something did happen. She tells me otherwise…"

Luke has Lorelai pinned against the counter and they are reenacting what had happened two nights ago. Hands are everywhere. Kissing is loose and wet and very, very mutual.

"Lor…" Luke attempts to converse but she keeps on kissing him. Grabs his head every time he tries to move away.

"Lorelai…" She's moving against him now and he can feel arousal building in his jeans. Now he knows he has to stop. Has to stop before the blood rushes out of his head and his brain begins to lose function. He pushes away from her and positions himself against the island a few feet away.

"We need to have that talk…" He's breathing heavily, as is she, and they both are smiling like a bunch of goons. "Um…So, we're kissing…"

"Right now?"

"No, um…we were kissing just then and…well…before then…" Lorelai is grinning now and Luke seems to become more and more nervous every time he opens his mouth. He grabs the back of his neck and begins rubbing it. "Well…what are we going to do?"

"The hell if I know…Do you want to continue kissing? Do you like it?" She waits for him.

He looks up at her, "Yeah…"

She rolls her eyes at this. "Listen to us! We sound absolutely ridiculous! Like little kids or something…I feel so much like Molly Ringwald right now…"

Luke cocks his head to the side. "Who?"

"Never mind!" She waves her hand and dismisses his question. It's just her…being her.

"Luke, I want this. I think subconsciously…I've wanted this for a long time…"

"I have consciously wanted this for a long time." She is surprised by this, genuinely surprised.

"Really? Why didn't you…"

"For one…there really was never a good time." He settles back against the counter, his hands flat against the surface behind him. "Two…I didn't want things to change. It could end up in disaster…and then again it could end up being really…really…well, good!"

Lorelai smiles at this and blushes at the idea of them…having a future, romantically.

"Yeah…really good."

Just then the door opens and Sookie's head pops through the crack.

"Hey, uh, Lorelai? Michel is getting really POed…he's kinda looking like the incredible Hulk only, he's not buff, big, or green…"

Lorelai and Luke both look a little disappointed with the interruption.

"Right…so…we'll finish this…later?" Lorelai looks at Luke and kicks into the 'act like nothing has happened mode'. Luke follow suit.

"Yeah…later…" He moves to the door and gives her a quick wave before brushing past Sookie. Sookie jumps into the kitchen and begins her game of twenty questions.

"What's going on? Why did Luke come here? Are you two fighting? Details, Details, Details!" Sookie is bouncing around by now and Lorelai is not finding it as amusing as she usually would. She just happens to be a little confused about where she and Luke stand. She gets that the kissing thing is mutual. But is it exclusive kissing? Does he want to go _farther_ than kissing? She is thoroughly confused.

"EARTH TO LORELAI! What's going on?" Lorelai jumps and looks over at Sookie with a huge smile on her face.

"I think I might be dating Luke…"

_Sorry to leave you hanging! I'm going to go see THE RING TWO…YIKES! I promise I'll update again…It should be up tonight or tomorrow afternoon! But don't cry…"I cried because I had no shoes. Until I met a man with no feet and the no feet guy said that there was this thing called a budget and WNYX was way over it." Just remember the no feet guy! Sorry I hit 'News Radio' mode sometimes! If you guys want to see this go somewhere...let me know...I'm just coming up with it as I go along...no outline...no nothing..._


	6. After Midnight

A/N: First off I'm really, _really_ sorry it took me so long to update. I've been busy getting ready to start school and work has been crazy…don't hate me because I'm beautiful and a wee bit over occupied. Second of all, I have a great anecdote. I'm a Minnesota girl (accent and all) and I went to a Minnesota Twins game. I'm a huge fan of baseball and Johan Santana…Anyway, while I was waiting in line for a dome dog (hot dog), I saw a little boy with a checkered flannel shirt (red) and a backwards Twins baseball cap and he looked exactly like a little Luke Danes! It was so cute! For any of you Scott P. fans you know that he was in "Little Big League" and he played for the Minnesota Twins! Funny huh? All right…now back to the story!

On this cool April night, Lorelai finds herself outside of Luke's diner. The lights are out and Luke is undoubtedly upstairs in his apartment. Why she feels the need to discuss their relationship now is beyond her but she can't sleep without knowing where they are going or what this really is. Sex? Friends with benefits? Or a real deep relationship? She just needs to know. She musters the courage to throw a pebble at his window. Much like she did a year ago. The first one hits the glass just right, and the sound is so loud, she's sure it even woke up Miss Patty. She waits…bouncing her weight from left to right, finding herself both cold and nervous…until finally the lights turn on and the window opens to a very sleepy looking Luke.

"Lorelai?" He doesn't seem surprised that she's there, but he feels compelled to confirm it anyway.

"Hey…Can I come up? I really…I just…I need to talk to you." She cocks her head to the side in a questioning manner and places her hands on her hips.

Luke looks on and contemplates his decision. She sees this and she becomes nervous to the point of illness. One hand leaves her hip and snakes around her stomach to ease the pain.

"Hold on…" With that, Luke is gone, the window is closed and Lorelai stands solitary under the dim street lamp. She paces a little, moves closer toward the diner then away. When she hears the bell above the door she snaps her head around. Luke is leaning on the frame and holding the door for her to come in. She complies and brushes past him eliciting tingles within both of them.

"Upstairs?" She asks in a whisper, she wonders why she's whispering; it's just the two of them.

"Yeah…" She strides toward the stairs when she feels a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey…" Luke says.

"Is for horses…" And the first quip of the night is spoken.

"It's good to know that you wit hasn't changed since the last time I saw you." The rhythm is established, it's familiar…far different from the territory their about to explore.

"You should feel _very_ privileged to know _me_ Luke Danes…"

"Oh really?" His arms are crossed in front of him; her hands are on her hips, nothing new, except for their current location, very, very close to one another.

"Yes really. I'm smart, I'm funny, devastatingly beautiful…"

"Cocky, narcissistic…" Their both smiling that is until they feel a shift. Once the proximity to one another is noticed, they can't seem to ignore it; in fact it reminds them how close they were earlier today in the Inn's kitchen. Luke uncrosses his arms and tucks some hair behind Lorelai's ear. And then they're leaning…

"Luke…" And it's broken. Luke takes a step back and Lorelai begins to fidget with her necklace…a habit Luke has become very familiar with.

"Can we go upstairs…and…and…talk?" She doesn't look at him. Can't bring herself to do so.

"Yeah…let's go." She goes up ahead of him and walks into the apartment. Luke behind her, gestures for her to sit on his leather couch. They each take a side keeping as much distance between each other as possible. Silence fills the room, as Luke looks around his apartment, toward his bed, his kitchen then steals a glance at Lorelai who is staring at her lap. When she meets his glance the both turn away.

"Look, Luke…I…"

"Don't do this…"

"Do what?" They are both looking at each other now. Lorelai bewildered, Luke frustrated.

"You're going to tell me, I'm a nice guy, a great friend, but that you can't do this…"

"You've got it completely backwards…" She moves closer to him.

"Do I?" Luke notices her advances and accepts them.

"I came to tell you…You're a really nice guy, my best friend, and I want to do this more than anything else in the world." She inches even closer to him and Luke watches her with an intense gaze.

"I want you Luke…I've wanted you for awhile…" She leans into him and plants a kiss on his neck. She feels him shutter and hears the faintest moan. She touches his skin with her tongue and he sighs. She bites and begins to suck his skin he growls. This encourages her further. She alternates biting and sucking and light kisses in the same spot, determined to mark him for her own. When she finishes there she moves up to grab his earlobe between her teeth before sucking into her mouth. Luke can't take much more. He needs to kiss her, and he does, and it's sweet and slow and then hard and erotic. Soon they find the need for clothes unnecessary and begin to remove article after article. They kiss and bite and nuzzle and touch and when they make their way to the bed…they find that those seven years…were well worth the wait.

Luke is lying on his back alone in his bed, his arm is slung over his face to ward out the light that is currently bathing him in his sleepy state. When he hears her voice, his arm slides above his head to see her figure standing dark, in the yellow light of the doorway.

"Thanks for letting me borrow your tooth brush…a lot of people find it disgusting." She says toothpaste foam running over her lips.

"We just had our tongues down each other's throat…I don't see what harm, sharing a tooth brush could bring." She chuckles a little and has to bring her free hand up to her mouth to prevent the toothpaste from dribbling down onto the plaid flannel shirt she's wearing. He smiles at this. She exits into the bathroom and a second later comes back out fully brushed with no sign of toothpaste.

"Still…thank you…" She turns out the bathroom light and heads toward him.

"You're welcome." She crawls onto him and straddles him before leaning down to kiss him softly.

"Mmmm…minty fresh…" He says when they break away. She places her hands on his abdomen and rubs it lovingly.

"I have so much energy…" She bounces a little, and flicks her hair to the side and the two movements elicit a groan from Luke.

"I don't understand how you can be…I mean…two times…and you've been working all day…all week." He closes his eyes and concentrates on her ministrations. The rubbing makes him feel relaxed and very sleepy.

"I can see that you're exhausted…" She lifts her leg and lays next to him on her side, head on his chest, leg tangled with his, she continues to rub his belly.

"Well, I did have a very long day…and then…"

"The sex?" She looks up at him with a mischievous grin.

"Yes the sex too…" He smiles at her and she smiles back and then looks down at her hand on his stomach. She feels him kiss her head and it's there that she realizes, that she finally found a place where she belonged. She waited her whole life to find it and now here with Luke everything is right, as it should be. She wants to tell him…she hesitates but soon finds her voice.

"Luke?" She waits, when she hears nothing she looks up to his face to find that he's fallen asleep. She plants a light kiss on his bare chest, snuggles up to him, and soon follows suit, and loses herself to a dream…

A/N: Hope you enjoyed this chapter…let me know…should I write more? Should I start a new one? Give me the 411…


	7. Home at Last

I started a new story. It's called "Disappointed". It's Javajunkie but it's mostly about Luke and his fear of change, his failed relationship with Jess, and his acceptance of things to come. It explores Luke and Lorelai's future together. I hope you guys like it. It's pretty deep. Not at all fluffy but I can't stop writing it!

**Here's the last chapter of this one!**

Two days later Lorelai walks into her house happily somewhere in the late afternoon to find Luke sitting comfortably on her couch watching TV.

"What are you doin'?" She walks up to him and sits next to him on the couch glancing at the baseball game on in front of her. It hits her then. He fixed the TV.

"You fixed Harold!" She gives him a gigantic smile and a kiss on the cheek. "You're the best boyfriend ever."

"Yeah…well, I had to call the company help line so…I didn't do it alone." He rubs her knee and then rests his hand there.

"Doesn't matter…As long as he works again. That's all I care about. Rory and I have had this TV since before Chilton. We have experienced many a good and many a bad Kevin Bacon moments on this here bad boy." She turns to him and bounces in her seat happily.

Luke leans in and gives her a warm and tender kiss.

"What's that for?" She strokes the stubble along his jaw line lovingly.

"Because you're so…contagious…" He leans in to kiss her again and she backs away.

"Well, if I'm contagious you better not kiss me. You might catch it. You wouldn't want that now would you?" She bats her lashes at him and smirks flirtatiously.

"I think I'll take my chances." He kisses her vigorously now. His tongue slips between her lips and takes them both to another level. She pulls away from him and kisses his jaw.

"There was something I wanted to tell you the other night. Before we fell asleep."

She faces him and leans her forehead against his.

"What was that?" He inquires taking her face into his hands.

She breathes in and prepares to tell him the truth.

"I ran away from my old life trying to find a place where I truly belong. And I thought that this town was it, that this is where I fit in, where I can really be me. But that night…I realized that it wasn't just this town. It was also when I'm here…With you, Luke. Everything is right when I'm with you. It's all as it should be…and I'm ready to take this chance."

He grins, kisses her. He's glad the games are over, because now they don't have to worry about who's going to lose and who's going to win.

I'm done with this one but fear not because there will be many more to come! Hope ya'll liked this…I had fun writing it. Moving on to the next one right now…So, be prepared!


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